The countdown to the inaugural Grand Slam Track Meet has begun, with Jamaica's National Stadium set to host the first leg of the four-meet series in April 2025, just five days after the conclusion of the ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships. On Thursday, Don Lockerbie, Venue Director for Grand Slam Track, met with members of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) at the National Stadium to discuss plans for the event and potential collaboration between the two entities.

The meeting comes amid plans for a three-year redevelopment of the National Stadium, announced by the Jamaican government. Built in 1962 for the 1966 Commonwealth Games, the stadium has been a cornerstone of Jamaican athletics but requires upgrades to host world-class events like the Grand Slam.

Lockerbie, reflecting on the meeting, emphasized the mutual respect between Grand Slam Track and ISSA, describing the discussions as "extraordinarily positive." He noted the historic significance of ISSA Champs, calling it "the greatest high school track meet on the planet," and expressed excitement about the potential synergies between Champs and Grand Slam Track.

GST Venue Director Don Lockerbie

“There’s a lot of things we’re going to build here at the stadium, and there’s a lot of things we thought we could do in the way of collaboration,” Lockerbie explained. “In the end, I would say that the meeting was extraordinarily positive. A great relationship is being built, and I’m pretty sure we’ll be moving forward, working well together, and hopefully for years to come.”

Lockerbie revealed plans for several short-term upgrades to ensure the National Stadium is ready for the Grand Slam Track Meet. These include installing generators, tents, and, more importantly, enhancing media and broadcast facilities, particularly around the finish line area.

“It’s about a few upgrades, like media and broadcast areas... to make it a little more professional and world-class for the type of media coming to our event and that the Jamaican media would find exciting too,” Lockerbie said. Discussions also touched on the condition of the track itself, though he withheld specific details.

Lockerbie underscored that some of the improvements made for Grand Slam Track could be implemented ahead of Champs, allowing ISSA to benefit as well. “It’s more of us helping financially and with product we’d be bringing in from the States or even the UK,” he added.

Keith Wellington, President of ISSA, echoed Lockerbie’s sentiments, emphasizing the potential benefits of the partnership. “I think we had fruitful discussions. There are some ideas that were shared with us that we are willing to consider. I think that if everything works according to plan, both Champs and the Grand Slam should benefit from this relationship,” he said.

ISSA President Keith Wellington

Wellington acknowledged the stadium’s current shortcomings and expressed optimism about the upcoming redevelopment. However, he also highlighted the immediate improvements needed to meet the requirements of Grand Slam Track.

“Based on the needs of the Grand Slam, there are things that need to be done now, and the idea is to get some of them done in time for Grand Slam Track, but obviously to ensure that Champs benefits not just this year but in the long run,” Wellington said.

With just five days separating Champs and Grand Slam Track, both parties recognize the logistical challenges involved. To address this, Wellington outlined ISSA’s plan to facilitate Grand Slam Track personnel by allowing some preparatory work to be done ahead of Champs.

“What we are going to be doing is trying to facilitate the Grand Slam personnel because there are things that they need to do that cannot be done in the five days between the end of Champs and the start of Grand Slam Track,” Wellington explained. “They can use Champs as a dry run for some of these activities... it means that we will benefit, and the patrons will benefit.”

Wellington also encouraged fans to show their support for the Grand Slam Track Meet, noting that its success could have long-term benefits for local athletics.